Door-control mechanism



Sept uyo. NEIKIRK DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM Filed June s, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PATENT w s ofNEIK RK, orrncivnsann rmmors, nssicnon ronai'ionannmirr can coir Paint, on cHIoAeoILLInoIs. A CORPORATION or MAINE.

,DooR-oonrnoL vrEc'HnnrsM. V

' Applicatio'n filed June '8,

This, invention relates'to door control mechanism. l f

The invention is particularly adaptable for use in connection with 'railway'cars and contemplate: the operation of a number of doors 'from' one pointfand with a simple operation; f a

One objectof the invention is to provide a 7 simple and sturdy structurewhichwillbe cf:

1'' 'ficie'nt inoperation a nd which will have very little likelihoodof getting outof'orderf Another object is to provide a railway car with door. control mechanism adapted'to lock a holdingunember for a door or holding H members fora plurality, o'f doors andfto move holding member o'r holding members into non-holding position ina manner to meet the requirements of commercial operation] v r A further object is to provide door-control .mechanism having means to lock the-holding members'of a pluralityof doors in door 'closinc position .and means for movingfsaid holding members to non' holdin'g position'in apredetermined succession of steps, only a. 'simple movement on thepart of the operator being required. These and other objects are accomplished byineans of the arrai'igement disclosed on the accompanying sheets of drawings inwhich .Figurel is a fragmentary side elevation of a railway car embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse sec.

tional view on an enlarged scale of the same car.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing on an enlarged scale certain details of my invention.

Figure 4c is a fragmentary plan View of the structure shown in Figure 1.

The various novel features of my invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the figures of the drawings, it will be noted'that I have disclosed my invention in connection with a railway car and preferably a car having sides 10 (only one being shown) and a plurality of floor doors 11 which, it will be understood, are

pivotally mounted in the usual manner adjacent the center sill structure of the car. Each of the doors 11 has at its outer edge a reinforcing angle member 12. Also secured to each floor door 11 is a bracket 13 which 1921. Serial in). 475,961;

extends laterally fronrt'he outer edge ofthe ca'r 'and outwardly with respect to the side of the car. To hold each door 11in clobed position, a link 14 is provided, which is pivot-ally mounted at its upper end in a supporting member 15 preferably permanentlysecured to the side of the car 10 by mean's of rivets 16-'16.. The lower nar rowed portion of the link when in a position forv holdingassociated door 11 in closed position passes under projecting bracket .13 as thown in the figures of the drawing. If

have provided locking means which will now bedeicribed. l r

' Extending longitudinally of the car is a rod 1'? which is supported to have a. sliding movemei' t longitudinally ofthe car. Said rod -17 has fast thereto aplurality of latch members 18 which are adaptedto overlie the 'link'members' 1 1 and tolock said link membe'rsinjjdoor holding position; A hand lever '19, pivoted at the point 20, may be provided for communicating longitudinal movement to the sliding rod 17 The locking members 18 may all be similarly placed on the sliding rod 17 relative to the links l t-14, whereby a predetermined movement of said sliding rod 17 will move all of said locking members 18 into or out of locking relation with said link members 14r14. Also mountedrupon the sliding rod 17 are a plurality of wedging 'members 2121.

Said wedging members 21-21 are located adjacent to the links l l -+1 1 but are placed on the opposite side from the locking members 1818, whereby movement in a single direction of the lever 19 will result inwithdrawing the locking members 1818 from engaging position and will move the wedging members 2121 into wedging relation with the links 14t-14, whereby to move said links outwardly to disengage the brackets 13-13.

Preferably the wedging members 2121 will be variously spacedfrom the link members 14.-14= whereby any one movement of the rod 17 in a right hand direction as loo viewed in Figure 1, will result in the operation of link members 14-141 in a precetermined succession. The advantages of this construction will be obvious for the reason that a workman stationed at a part of the car adjacent to the lever 19, may by succesiive increments in the movement of the lerer 19 operate the links l t -14 in succession thereby permitting the exercise of choice of locality where each floor door shall be opened to deposit the material held thereby.

When a car is heavily loaded, considerable pressure is imposed on the link 14 and. accordingly considerable etlort is required for swinging the link l t laterally out of engagement with its locking projection 13. My invention facilitates the releasing move ment of the link L by reason of the wedging action of the members 2121.

It is seen therefore, that a workman stationed at one part of the car may lock all oi the door holding members with one movement of the lever 19 and may move said holding members out of holding: position by a simple movement of the lever in the opposite direction. He may dump all of the doors in rapid succession it he so chooses by a single movement. of the lever 19. or he may cause the opening of the floor doors at intervals by moving the lever 19 in one direction in successive steps. The latter opcratioirwill be useful where material is being dumped into a hopper, the car being moved forward in successive steps as the various dump doors are opened.

It is my intention to cover all modifica tions of the invention falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States. is:

1. In combination, a plurality of dump doors, each of said doors having associated therewith a member for directly holding same in closed position, means 'for locking said holding members in door holding position and also for moving said holding memhere into non-holding position, and a single member for operating said moving means to move said holding members to non-holding position in predetermined succession.

2. In combination, a plurality of dump door, each of said doors having associated therewith a n'rember for directly holding same in closed position, combined locking and releasing means for controlling the position of said holding meml'iers and common operating means for causing said releasing means to operate in a predetermined succession.

3. In a car, the combination of a dump door, a member for holding said door closed, means for locking said holding member, means for wedging said holding member to nonholding position and common operating 111021115 for said locking and wedging means movable longitudinally of the car. 7

t. In combination, a plurality of dump doors. operating means arranged along said doors, a member associated with each of said doors for latching same in closed position, means controlled by said operating means for locking said latching; members in latching position and means mounted on said opcrating means for moving said latching members to non-latching position, said movinn means being: located at points to move said latching members in predetermined succcssion.

Signed at Chicago. Illinois, this 3rd day of June, 1921.

JOHN O. NEIKIRK. 

